We’ll continue with N70b corruption case against Tinubu’s Minister – EFCC (DailyTrust)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has assured that it will continue with the alleged N70bn corruption case against the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, while he was the governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023.
The EFCC Acting Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwajuren, said this on Friday while addressing hundreds of protesters under the aegis of APC Akida Forum who staged a protest at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, calling for the reopening of the pending case.
Uwajuren told the group that EFCC does not close cases once it opens an investigation and assured them that their demand will be looked into. Read more
Police arrest mastermind of Abuja-Kaduna train attack (Leadership)
The Nigeria Police Force said it has arrested one Ibrahim Abdullahi, aka Mande, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the March 29, 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack as well as kidnapping and murder of students of Greenfield University and the many abductions along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said Mande was nabbed along with several other suspects.
Parading the suspects at the Kaduna Police command headquarters on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer said that Mande was arrested based on credible information at the Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction in Chikun local government area.
He explained that the suspect has confessed to being a leader of a kidnap syndicate terrorising the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway and ranked among notorious bandits like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji. Read more
Police arrest 195 suspects, rescue 19 abducted victims (Vanguard)
The Police Command in Enugu State says it has arrested 195 suspects and rescued 19 abducted persons in the state within a month.
The police also recovered 10 AK-47 rifles, one sub-machine gun, 37 locally fabricated and other firearms, as well as 67 live ammunition of different calibres.
Other items recovered were 78 live cartridges, 25 vehicles, 15 tricycles, and 25 motorcycles, among others. Read more
7 dead in Delta tanker explosion, Oborevwori mourns (Channels)
Seven people died on Friday after a tanker laden with fuel fell on the road causing an explosion.
The event, according to eyewitnesses occurred at about 10:00 am in the Ometan community along the Warri-Sapele Road in the Okpe Local Government Area of the state.
Meanwhile, the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori accompanied by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly Emomotimi Guwor, the former chairman of Okpe Local Government Council visited the scene of the incident and commiserated with the people of Ometan over the tragic event. Read more
APC’s Okpebholo kicks as Obaseki inaugurates 5 out of 8 judges (Nation)
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Monday Okpebholo has kicked against Friday’s inauguration of five out of the eight Edo High Court judges eleven months recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The newly-inaugurated judges are Justices Obayuwana Osarenren Mathias, Ehinon Anthony Okoh, Ovenseri Otamere, Bright Eraze Oniha, and Osayande Ikwuemosi Awawu.
They were inaugurated on Friday by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Anambra woman arrested for torturing housemaid over theft (Tribune)
A 65-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly inflicting injury on her 19-year-old housekeeper in Ezinifite, Aguata local government area of Anambra State.
The suspect, identified as Mrs. Martha Umenweke, was arrested following a report by a whistleblower who witnessed the ugly incident.
On her part, the victim, Chidiebere Otenyi, from Nkanu, Enugu State, said she was accused by her madam of stealing her ₦25,000. Read more
Organ harvesting: Police arrest 10 suspects in Lagos (Channels)
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a gang of suspected ritualists who specialise in killing people and harvesting body parts for sale in various states.
The suspects include a woman who is an Osun priestess, a community chief, an Ifa priest, an Islamic cleric, and a trado-medicine practitioner.
While confirming this burst on Friday, the spokesperson of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the suspects who operate in one of the extreme divisions of Lagos were arrested through intelligence reports from the public. Read more
OPay threatens to shut accounts trading crypto (DailyTrust)
OPay, a leading financial technology company, has warned its customers against trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency on its app.
In a notice issued on Friday, the company said it would block any account found engaging in such trading and also forward the details of the account owner to the regulator.
“In compliance with the CBN directive, please note that OPay prohibits any cryptocurrency and all virtual currency trading. Any account engaging in such activities will be closed, and customer information will be shared with regulatory authorities. Read more
Halle Berry shares health announcement as she fights to end ‘shame’ after herpes misdiagnosis (Metro)
Halle Berry bellowed ‘I’m in menopause’ on the steps of the US Capitol in order to raise awareness of ‘this stage of life.’
The actress, 57, joined a group of senators to push for legislation that would give $275million (£219.4million) toward research and education surrounding menopause.
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods as her hormone levels lower, and usually happens between the ages of 45 to 55 but can happen earlier. Read more
Al Green reacts to Kendrick Lamar sampling him on “6:16 In LA” Drake diss (HipHopDX)
Al Green is sampled in Kendrick Lamar‘s newest diss to Drake, “6:16 In LA,” and it garnered a response from the legend himself.
Released in the early hours of Friday (May 3), the Sounwave and Jack Antonoff-produced track samples Green’s 1972 classic, “What a Wonderful Thing Love Is.”
Though he kept it simple in his post, Green shared the original song to his Twitter/X page shortly after K. Dot dropped “6:16 In LA.”
Children, infants missing after Tunis police clear makeshift refugee camps (AlJazeera)
Hundreds of refugees and migrants camped in the centre of Tunis have disappeared, with reports suggesting that the group, including several infants, had been abandoned in the desert near Algeria.
According to local media reports, security forces swept into the encampments in the prosperous Berge de Lac business district early on Friday, rounding up men, women and children and destroying the shelters they had built.
One encampment was in a walled-off public park and the other was in an alleyway outside the United Nations’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Read more
World Food Programme Director Cindy McCain: Northern Gaza is in a ‘full-blown famine’ (NBC)
Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said she believes there is a “full-blown famine” in northern Gaza.
“Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens,” McCain said during an interview with Kristen Welker set to air Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”
“What I can explain to you is — is that there is famine — full-blown famine — in the north, and it’s moving its way south,” she said. Read more
Thousands rally in Sanaa against Israel-Hamas war, Houthis threaten to expand their campaign (AfricaNews)
Tens of thousands of Yemenis joined a recurring Friday demonstration in Sanaa in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels are threatening to expand their campaign targeting ships traveling to Israel.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesman, said it was the fourth phase in their campain and would target “all ships that breached the decision that bans Israeli navigation and heading to ports of occupied Palestine in the Mediterranean sea in any area we can reach.” Read more
Trump hush-money trial: Former aide Hope Hicks testifies (UPI)
The third week of the hush-money trial of Donald Trump concluded Friday with testimony from former aide Hope Hicks.
Hicks, former White House communications director under Trump, testified under subpoena Friday as a witness for the prosecution. She was once one of Trump’s closest advisers, recalling that she traveled with him “almost every day” during his campaign.
As she took the stand, Hicks commented that she was “really nervous.” Read more
3 arrested and charged over Sikh activist’s killing in Canada (BBC)
Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, which sparked a major diplomatic row between the two countries.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead last June by masked gunmen in a busy car park in a Vancouver suburb.
The diplomatic row escalated after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India’s government may have been involved. Read more
Iheanacho rejects Leicester’s £65k weekly offer (Punch)
Super Eagles and Leicester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, has rejected a new deal from the club amidst interest from Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old striker has been subjected to just ten league starts in the EFL Championships this season, with Enzo Maresca preferring Zambian Patson Daka to lead the line for the Foxes.
Iheanacho, alongside Wilfred Ndidi, are at the tail end of their Leicester City career as their contract runs out in June 2024. While the defensive midfielder has set sights on a move to a Premier League top-six side, Iheanacho isn’t keen on extending his stay at the King Power Stadium. Read more
Mike Tyson on surprising technique he used before every fight: ‘Only certain people get it’ (Independent)
Mike Tyson has explained how pre-fight hypnosis helped him during his boxing career, saying he was “raised” on the practice from the age of 13.
Tyson, seen by many as the most destructive puncher in boxing history, is set to return to competition in July, fighting YouTube star Jake Paul.
The controversial bout, which will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and will stream live on Netflix, will be an officially-sanctioned professional contest. Tyson will turn 58 before the fight occurs, while Paul is 27. Read more
Japan clinch title after thrilling final against Uzbekistan (GulfTimes)
Substitute Fuki Yamada struck in the 91st minute and Leo Kokubo made a late penalty save to earn Japan a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan on Friday that secured Go Oiwa’s side the AFC U-23 Asian Cup title at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Yamada, introduced from the bench with 18 minutes remaining, struck into the bottom corner of Abduvakhid Nematov’s goal before Kokubo kept out Umarali Rakhmonaliev’s spot-kick nine minutes later to earn Japan their second AFC U-23 Asian Cup title.
The dramatic finish came at the end of a tense encounter and it saw the Japanese win the title for the first time since 2016, when the Samurai Blue also lifted the trophy on Qatari soil.
Japan had survived an eighth minute scare when hesitation between Hiroki Sekine and Kota Takai gifted Alisher Odilov time to play Husain Norchaev into space behind the defence, but the striker was unable to punish the lapse as he fired into the side netting.
It was the Central Asians who were on the front foot throughout the opening quarter, captain Jasurbek Jaloliddinov launching a speculative effort in the 13th minute from distance that Kokubo collected with Timur Kapadze’s side dominating midfield. Read more
Mark Clattenburg resigns from Nottingham Forest role as club (SkySports)
Mark Clattenburg has resigned from his refereeing consultant role at Nottingham Forest, and the club have been charged by the FA for their social media post after defeat to Everton.
The former Premier League referee was only appointed to the first-of-its-kind role in February but has been involved in some controversy, including Forest accusing Stuart Attwell, the VAR for their acrimonious 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park, of being a Luton fan after a series of appeals for penalties by the away side were turned down.
In a statement released by Forest, Clattenburg feels he has been unfairly targeted by “certain participants and pundits.” Read more
Bodybuilding: Nigeria’s James Chima Sunday triumphs at 2024 IFBB West African Championships (CompleteSports)
The 2024 IFBB West African Championships held in Accra, Ghana, ended on a high note for Nigeria as Abuja’s very own James Chima Sunday claimed the overall title in men’s bodybuilding, earning him the prestigious IFBB Elite Pro Card and marking his transition to a professional
Athlete.
At just 22 years old, James has brought immense pride and joy to Nigeria, showcasing the capability and resilience of a homegrown talent on the international stage.
Born and raised in Nkanu, Enugu State, James has not only stood out for
his impressive physical statistics—standing 176 cm tall and weighing
95 kg—but also for his mental fortitude and dedication to the sport. Read more
Rublev to face Auger-Aliassime in Madrid Open final (BBC)
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev will play Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final of the Madrid Open.
The Russian beat Taylor Fritz of the United States 6-4 6-3 to reach his second final of the year.
He will face world number 35 Auger-Aliassime after 30th seed Jiri Lehecka was forced to retire midway through the first set of the second semi-final. Read more